Sock



Patented Nov. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to socks; and it has reference more particularly to ladies socks in-.

tended to be worn with low shoesor sandals.

At the present time, it is the vogue for young 5 women to go bare legged in the summer months, and to wear short topped socks in lieu of the conventional full length stockings. Such socks are objectionable in that their tops have a tendency to slide down the legs of the wearers, with l formation of unsightly and uncomfortable folds taround the ankles immediately above the shoe ops.

Broadly speaking, my invention is directed toward obviating the above drawbacks and yet afford the foot protection against the soreness which results from direct contact of the skin with the insides of the shoes as when no stockings at all are worn. This desiderata I attain, as hereinafter fully explained, in a sock which lends 20 itself to very e'conomic manufacture, either as a seamless or as a fashioned product; and which comprises toe and heel pockets, and a'connecting I sole portion for the protection of the corresponding parts of the foot, but which is entirely devoid 25,0f instep, ankle or leg portion, so that when the sock is worn, it is concealed within the shoe or sandal.

A further aim of my invention is to make provisions, in a sock having the aforeindicated attributes, for holding the sock against the possibility of slipping on the foot.

In the attached drawing, Fig. I is a View partly in elevation and partly in section, showing how the novel sock of my invention is intended to be worn, and also how the sock is concealed by the low shoe or sandal.

Fig. II is a side view of the sock illustrated in Fig. I, the same being of a form produced on a circular knitting machine; and

Fig. III is a view similar to Fig. II showing a sock in accordance with the present invention produced on a fullfashioned footer.

Referring first to Figs. I and II of these illustrations, the sock there shown comprises a toe pocket 5, a heel pocket (Send a connecting sole portion '7. In this instance the toe and heel pockets and 6 have the toe and heel sutures 8 and 9 characteristic of seamless knit hosiery; and it is to be especially noted that said heel and toe pockets are substantially of the same height, whereas the sole portion 7 terminates in longi- ;tridinal lines 10 in a plane about midway of the height of said toe and heel pockets, the sock being thus entirely devoid of instep, leg and ankle portions. From Fig. I it will be observed that the proportioning of the sock is such that direct contact of the skin of the foot with the inside of the low shoe or sandal is avoided, and that the sock is concealed within the shoe or sandal. Socks of'the type described can obviously be produced on any circular knitting machine equipped with mechanism for oscillating its cylinder to fashion the heel and toe pockets in the usual way, as well as to knit the upper part of the heel above the upper end of .the suture 9 and the sole portion 7 with attendant formation of selvages at the top edges 10 of said sole portion and the vertical edges 11 of said heel. The raw edges 12 and 13 of the toe and heel pockets 5 and 6 may be finished 01f in any suitable manner against ravelling, for-example by overedge stitching as conventionally shown at 13 on the heel pocket 6.

In order to hold the sock against the possibility of slipping on the foot, I incorporate incident to the knitting of the sock or afterwards as may be found the most expedient in practice, one or more strands or bands of elastic which I have conventionally indicated at 14. As shown, these elastic strands or bands 14 are substantially in line with the upper edges 10 of the sole portion and they therefore exert a slight contractile effect lengthwise of the sock whereby the latter is effectively held to the foot. Moreover, this location of .the bands 14 combines proper supporting anchorage for their forward ends with adequate height and purchase for properly holding up the sock heel pocket 6. Similar provisions may obviously be made in other portions of the sock if found necessary or desirable. Also if desirable, the entire heel portion may be made as a semirigid texture by employing a comparatively heavy gage hard twist yarn or covered elastic yarn in 5 the knitting. 9 The sock illustrated in Fig. III is proportioned generally like that of Figs. I and II, but produced on a fiat full fashioned machine with a toe portion 5a having diamond sutures 8a characteristic of full fashioned hosiery; a box heel 6a which is somewhat lower than that of the sockof Figs. I and II; and a sole portion 7a with longitudinal terminal selvage edges at 10a. In the heel 6a, in line or on a level with the upper edge 10a of the sole portion 7a, are the elastic strands or band 14a. In this instance the edges 12a, 13a of the toe and heel may be finished off by lateral transfer of adjacent fabric loops as in making a ravel stop course on full fashioned knitting machines, or

use with low shoes or sandals comprising toe and J heel pockets, a connecting sole portion with longitudinal terminal edges in a plane intermediate the height of said pockets, and an elastic band in the heel portion only, at a plane intermediate its height and in line with the longitudinal edges 01' the sole, for exerting a contractile eflect longitudinallytot the sock to hold up the heel portion, the parts being so proportioned as to be concealed within the low shoe or'sandal when the sock is worn.

HARRY C. MILLS. 

